I am grateful and relieved that our Chesapeake Academy families were not directly affected by the severe storms that passed through our area on Wednesday evening. However, some of our neighbors in Essex County were significantly impacted. In response, Chesapeake Academy's Student Council has decided to sponsor a service project to help those whose homes suffered serious damage or were destroyed. Student Council members announced this initiative to all students today.

Beginning on Monday and ending Friday, the following items may be brought to CA and placed in designated cartons in the library and the hallways of Early Childhood, Lower School, and Middle School.

Toiletries (shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.)

Gently used children's and adult's clothing. As I explained to the Middle Schoolers this morning, donate some things that you yourself would want to wear if you were in a similar situation.

Large size trash bags to help collect and discard debris.

These donations will be brought to Tappahannock's collection site for distribution.

Education means many things. I truly believe that education includes learning about how to be of service to others. When each person contributes and serves others in whatever way they can, even the little things will make a big difference. I am so proud of our students and their commitment to helping others. Thank you for supporting this student-driven initiative. We all have the power to make a difference in someone's life.

So many pieces are falling into place for the 2016 Auction! We've sent out our save the dates cards, secured a caterer, begun gathering amazing live and silent auction items, and we are close to a final draft of the invitation. As March begins, it's time to start focusing on some of the finer--and very fun--details! I'm looking for a few creative parents to help with decorations for the big event.

Over the next two months there will be several opportunities to come together for crafting nights as we begin prepping and assembling some of the key elements that will make the auction one to remember. We kick off with our first on Friday, March 4 at 4 p.m. in Irvington (exact location TBD).

This is a great way to spend some time with other parents and help the school! The time commitment will be minimal, and the tasks will be well-planned and fun. Please contact Catherine Emery at (804) 333-4930 to join in!

Catherine Emery, parent of Tayloe, '21 and Thomas, '22

Important Messages from the Admission Office:

This is a reminder that all enrollment contracts are due by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 29. Please contact Richard Abbott in the Business Office or Hilary Scott, Admissions, if there are questions regarding this deadline.

For families applying for financial assistance: t
he deadline for all required documents to be submitted is Monday, March 7. Please contact Richard or Hilary if there are questions regarding the documentation.

"What a truly priceless gift we have in our teachers here at Chesapeake Academy. The enthusiasm and dedication they bring into the classroom everyday makes it an exciting place for our children to learn. However, they use that same energy not only to teach the academics to build brighter students, but to help our children be better people as well."

Michelle Ritter, CAPPA President

Class Acts....What's Happening on the Halls?

Seventh grade Science is learning about human body systems. Oliver McAninch is using the model of a lung he built to demonstrate respiration.

Architects Rule!

In the next phase of the Algebra I/Economics unit on house building and design, eighth graders and their fourth grade clients visited the offices of Randall Kipp Architects. Meeting with Randall Kipp, Keith Meberg (father of Rebecca, '18) and Lauren Davenport (mother of Allie '26), students gained insights into the design process, working with a client, and choosing sustainable materials for their houses. Inspired by the modern designs, many students started to reimagine what they could do with non-traditional roof lines, huge windows, and finishings in their house. Mr. Kipp and Mr. Meberg will give feedback to our eighth grade architects on their CAD and 3D scale models in a few weeks.

Exchange Student Opportunity...

During the fall of 2013-14, Chesapeake Academy hosted two students from Faces & Our Cultures, an eight-week cultural exchange program based in Guatemala. Currently there are 18 independent schools in Virginia participating in the Faces & Our Cultures Program. Our two participants from Guatemala, Anika and Danny, enjoyed the rich offerings at CA--from teaching Spanish to Pre-K 3&4 students, to sharing cultural lessons in middle school, to participating on athletic teams--their time with us was truly an exchange of cultures, and we hope to continue to offer this opportunity to the CA school community.

This opportunity is available to families with rising sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students for the 2016-17 school year. If you are interested in learning more about hosting a student from October through mid-December 2016, please contact Hilary Scott at hscott@chesapeakeacademy.org. no later than February 29!

"What is that strange substance?"

CA Girls Rock STEM at Foxcroft

Five Chesapeake Academy girls competed in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Summit hosted by Foxcroft School on Saturday, February 20th in a field of twenty regional teams. The competition was designed by Foxcroft faculty and sponsored by K2M, a medical engineering firm specializing in developing complex spine innovations. Each of eight challenges provided an essential clue to solving the conference's overarching mystery.

The CA STEM team solved challenges ranging from decoding, to geometric and algebraic math, to chemistry, to intricate problem solving, to catapults!The team from Chesapeake Academy took first place out of twenty teams in the chemistry "Poison Postage" lab and a third place in the "Regions of the Spine" challenge. "At first we were intimidated by the size of the other schools, but as we worked through the challenges, we realized we were well-prepared for the math and science," stated Lily Reihs, '16. "I really liked the chemistry challenge! It was fun to test the poisons to determine who the spy was," exclaimed Rebecca Meberg, '18. Emma Smith, '17, exclaimed, "It was great! Even though the problems were difficult, we worked collaboratively and found the answers we needed to solve the puzzle."

Participating schools included The Norwood School in Bethesda, Maryland; St Patrick's School in Washington D.C.; Green Hedges School in Vienna; The Hill School in Middleburg; and Episcopal High School in Alexandria; and Christ Episcopal in Rockville, Maryland.

Kindergarteners learn the Spanish names for parts of the face by cutting and pasting their own composition. Look at that rapt attention! And those masterpieces!

"We've got the beat!" Mrs. Somers introduced notes and rests, and now we are making and following patterns in left to right sequences! Terrific brain builders! And so much musical fun!

A Caper's Afoot! It is March Mystery Time Again!

Lower School kicks off March Mystery Month today with the discovery that the bell in the CA bell tower is missing! Where did it go? Who took it and why? When did it go missing? These are the questions that multi-grade level groups (K - 4) will be investigating for the whole month of March. They will find physical evidence, some video footage, audio recordings, "newspaper headlines," and other clues that help them piece together the answers. Of course, there will be some red herrings in the mix as well! In order to launch March Mystery Month with great fanfare, Deputy Caleb Smith of the Northumberland Sheriff's Office (and spouse of MS teacher Hillary Smith) arrived on campus todaywith his squad car, lights, and siren going. After making a grand entrance, Deputy Smith talked with the students about how detectives go about their investigations, what tools they need, and how they put clues together. Rest assured, the bell is safe and sound. We will love putting together the puzzle pieces to solve the MYSTERY OF THE MISSING BELL!

Toothsome Fun!

Mrs. Jeannie Coyle, a regular classroom volunteer and Board of Trustees member, shared her background in dentistry with the Kindergarten class. Mrs. Coyle discussed why we have teeth, how to take care of them, how many teeth we have, the different teeth of various animals, and wisdom teeth. She even eased the minds of those who had not lost any...as of yet.

Advanced Geography Explores Social Programs in India...and Delicious Indian Food!

When the students learned that free, healthy school lunches were encouraging children to go to school (rather than work to help support their families), they wanted to recreate one of these lunches for their peers. The students researched recipes, calculated supplies and costs, wrote a proposal, created posters, and prepared a presentation before cooking and serving lunch on Monday. They encouraged the Middle School students to bring their own reusable container to minimize waste, just as the schools in India do.

Goldie Blox

Each week students in this activity period meet a new STEM challenge!

Week 1: Build a catapult to throw an object the longest distance.

Week 2: Build a boat out of foil that would hold the largest weight, and then the largest coin amount.

Week 3: Build the highest tower out of spaghetti noodles that hold a marshmallow on the top.

Teach for the Future!

Classroom helpers designed differentiated lessons to teach first graders coin values and counting coins in varying amounts. There were three stations with three differentiated lessons. The first graders rotated through each station during the class period. And they loved working with their classroom buddies!

Everyone loves Drop Everything and Read!

DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) Activity Period is Mrs. MacCaulay's favorite!
Students eagerly race to the Library in order to do nothing but READ! (and have a treat! Who doesn't like to snack while reading for leisure?) Each week we explore another strange place where OSPREYS READ!

After attending an invigorating conference through the Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL), Pam MacCaulay and Katie Parker showcased a wide variety of applications useful across the curriculum! VAASL is the voice for excellence in Virginia's school libraries through the promotion of literacy, information access and evaluation, love of literature, effective use of technology, collaboration in the teaching/learning process, intellectual freedom, professional growth, instructional leadership, and lifelong learning. Something for everyone came from the conference in Williamsburg. Well done, ladies!

In Writers Workshop the fourth and fifth graders are currently presenting their research papers. Jarett wowed his class with a display of magic to accompany his presentation on the history of magic.

The Artful Deciever Did Not Disappoint!

Arthur Trace, an award winning magician, delighted an audience full of magic enthusiasts and even a fellow magician or two at Chesapeake Academy on February 20. Combining original magic, audience participation, and imaginatively humorous scenarios, Trace's show was innovative, artful, and fun. Trace took the time to greet children afterwards and exchanged tips with young magicians. This free event, sponsored by the Nettie Lokey Wiley Foundation and the Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts was well-recieved by young and old! "We loved spending the afternoon with the kids seeing a world class act! Everyone loves magic!" commented Debbie Cook, Head of School at Chesapeake Academy. "Thanks to the generosity of local foundations, we are delighted to be able to bring this sort of fun to the community."

International Club: Eating Their Way Around The World!

The International Club that meets during Activity Periods this term is eating its way around the world! The group explores food, dance, music, history, and language of different countries, with the students taking turns sponsoring a session. Jack Porter '18 and Ashton Hollingsworth '17 prepared a presentation on South Korea and prepared samples of food for the group. Most exciting, Jack brought Christchurch School students Dokyung and Zym, both seniors from South Korea. Dokyung and Zym answered questions and talked about their impressions of the similarities and differences between the cultures of the United States and South Korea. Next stop in the global journey? Italy!

Brain Buckets Rev Up Student Motivation!

Trevor Haynie was proud to present his research project on goats to the second grade class. He spent weeks collecting information from the books and the internet. Then he craftily fashioned his ideas into a colorful comic book that others could read to learn more about goats. Here he is sharing his book with the class and answering questions based on his findings. Self-selected research projects like this one are very motivating to the second graders.

With eyes all aglow, the Middle School looks forward to seeing a wonderful adaptation of Madelaine L'Engle's classic, "A Wrinkle in Time."

Bloom Balls

The sixth grade Latin students hold their Bloom Balls (composed of circles, pentagons, staples, and string) which identify the twelve Olympian Gods with both their Roman and Greek names, their attributes, and their realms.

"Being an Osprey allowed me the opportunity to learn and grow in an atmosphere that was lead by teachers and coaches committed to enhancing my future. I have made lifelong relationships that all started at CA!"Austin Brown, 07, a Virginia Tech Grad who works for Caterpillar in Fredericksburg.

The Seacamp Spaghetti Dinner will be held in Academy Hall on Friday, March 18 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. TAKE OUT will be available from 2:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets will be available at CA and from our sixth and seventh grade Seacampers!

Coach's Corner

Chesapeake Academy will recognize the students who participated in winter sports on Wednesday, March 2, at 10:05 a.m. in an Athletics Awards Assembly. Parents are welcomed!

Tennis and track will be starting
March 14. Time to get in shape and polish some skills!

CAPPA has organized indoor soccer for grades one through four that meets
on Wednesday, and there is a girls' fitness group for grades one through four that meets on Mondays.

CAPPA's executive committee is making a full-court press in procurement for our 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee! I have been pounding the pavement with Catherine Emry and wonderful things are stacking up for our auction!

There is a job for each and every one of our families as we prepare for this vital fundraiser! Some of you might be terrific procurement team volunteers, and some of you are creative and handy and might be just perfect for helping to create the decorations. You may have a wonderful item to auction or you may want to advertise in the auction catalog! Volunteers will be needed for set-up and the clean- up team is always a hoot (bring trucks)!

Contact Catherine Emry in the Development Office to sign up to do your part! There truly is something for everyone! The Golden Jubilee will keep our programs shining if we all step up.

Michelle Ritter

CAPPA President

An Attitude of Gratitude!

The man of the hour...the man of the day...the week...the month...Grover Branson gets kudos for driving the bus to Dahlgren for the Basketball Team's last "Hurrah!" And then he was here again keeping that bus in tip top shape on Saturday!

In a perfectly delicious ending to a season of athletic growth, the Wolfsons (parents of Duke '18 and Rock '17) hosted our basketball players at their Tappahannock location of The Burger Company.

Many thanks to South Korean students, Dokyung and Zym from Christchurch School for coming to the International Club to share their culture.

CAPPA's generosity provided for a host of teacher "wishes" mid-year! Books, classroom materials, puzzles, laminating film, paper, and other supplies were met with enthusiasm and gratitude!

We so appreciate Jeannie Coyle for being the most wonderful classroom volunteer in Pre-Kindergarten 3&4 and Kindergarten. She also brought a presentation on Dental Health Month to Kindergarten!

Michelle Ritter is the number one procurement powerhouse at this point! Join her team and have some fun! Thanks to Michelle and to Catherine Emry for making many procurement visits for the auction!

One look at the faces at the Saturday Arthur Trace program proved how much gratitude is due to The Nettie Lokey Wiley Foundation for sponsoring our PALS programs.

Mrs. MacCaulay and Mrs. Parker for a wonderful professional development on useful educational aps. Teachers that don't notice the clock strike 5 o'clock....tells the tale of how useful this time was!

Thanks to the girls basketball team and Mrs. Hillary Smith for hosting a little basketball clinic for the EC extended day program.

So much gratitude is due to Ms. Courtney Reisner for everything she does for Pre-K 3&4 and Kindergarten.

Thanks to Landon Clark '04 for accompanying Pre-K 3&4 as they work on their music video. Thanks to Mrs. Somers for the musical arrangements.